Existing emergency pathway lighting systems typically consist of a linear system whereby one section of pathway lighting supplies power to the next section. The creation of an illuminated pathway is therefore reliant on links between pathway modules. Generally, printed circuit boards, housed in pathway modules, adjoin each other via wire connections and therefore have an electrical means of interconnection. A central power supply unit, generally connected to the mains supply, supplies power the first lighting module, which in turn supplies power to the second lighting module, and so on. The power supply also has a battery back-up unit that is activated when there is a mains failure.
However, the prior art has many potential failure points. The presence of water in the central power supply, containing the emergency battery back-up could cause the back-up to short circuit, resulting in a complete failure of the pathway system. If either the electrical supply line from the battery back-up to the pathway system or any of the pathway modules links suffer a breach, then a failure of the pathway system from the point of breach will occur. If any individual pathway lighting module suffers from electrical damage, then the subsequent modules would fail.